Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1887-03-16

hair hanging loosely above her shout
ders-
She locked up in surprise when Miss
st. Avon entered, but a frown deep
ened upon her bold black brows as she
saw her companion.
MAY I ask why you have thus in
truded upon me, Miss st. Avonl"
Ito plead the case of this poor child,
madam"
"And who constituted you his inter-
cessor?n
my own sense of right and Justice.
He is weak and ill; the cold garret Is
no place for him to sleep in. come to
ask you, as a favor, that he may share
my room with me.''
Mrs. Worden's eyes flashed.
81 will have no such interferences
with the domestic regulations of my
household. You are dismissed from
nv employment, Miss st. Avon; con-
slider the consequences of your oflicIous
Interference at your leisure"
Alice colored deeply, but still she
stood firm.
Il will not leave this helpless, aiIing
child to your persecution and neglect,
madam"
Take him with you then, and well
come," sneered Mrs, Worden. ''and
pretty pair of beggars you Will be-"
"Will you treat him as his relation
ship and helplessness require?"
''No, will not"
Then" said Miss st. Avon, com
pressing her lips resolutely, ~ will take
| NJ 1,l
little fellow. am not rich, like you,
but a crust day, given by the hand of
love, would be preferable to the miser-
able bondage of life lie now leads"
Mrs. Worden only laughed contempt
uouSly, and Alice ST. Avon went back
to her own room, still holding Char
ley's hand.
Charley" she said at last, VIII you
go home with me and be my boyP"
Charley clung sobbing round her
neck.
"Oh, Miss 81. Avon, love you so
much! L would go with you to the
worlds endp'
'Then it is all settled, Charley.
dare say" she added, speaking more TO
herself than to him, Il can get needle
work to do, or few pupils in music"
Or" chimed in Charley. wistfully,
Al could sell matches. Mike MulrOo-
ney, the cooks brother, makes ten
cents day selling matches"
Alice smiled at the suggestion.
well, we Will see, Charley. We
won't try the match business, at least,
for the present. But Eenceforward
remember that you are my dear little
brother, and l am your sister Alice"
And so the brave young girl went
out into the world, the selt-constituted
prOtectress OF Charley Worden. whose
forlorn loneliness and piteous isolation
had appe7 led to her heart so irresistl-
bly,.
Mademoiselle Pelelopine, the new
French gOverneSS. with Partisan accent /
and beard like mans had not reigned |
in the Worden household, as successor |
TO Miss st. Avon, more than month /
or two, when one day tall, DARK /
stranger called. during the temporary I
absence of the heads Of the family, and |
inquired for little Charley Wordsn.
"He has run away from his kind |
friends" replied the Parlsienne, glibly |
repeating the falsehood with which she
had been prompted.
"It's 10 such thingn roared Master /
Rupert, who was in high feud with /
MadeToi Pelelopine, in conse-
quence OF various neglected French /
exercises. "MIss st. Avon's adopted /
him and taken him away from us, |
cause papa and mamma were SO ugly
to him."
And who is Miss st. Avon, and
where does she live?" eagerly ques-
toned the stranger.
''Sheis our old governess, and she's
a deal nicer than the old Frenchy," de-
family bawled the young scapegrace,
land she lives down in Russell street,
next door but one 10 the roast-chestnut
mans corner.
'Will you hold your wicked tongue,
you bad boy?" calculated mademolselle
shrllly; but the visitor had already
learned enough from Master Rupert's
unbridled tongue, and turned away
with stern, set look on his handsome
features.
And this is the way" he muir
INJURED, "that they have fulfilled the
sacred trust committed to their care"
Little Charley Worden was sitting
on the rug IN front of the fire. spelling
over his reading lesson; Alice ST. Avon
was busted on a piece of dellcately fine
embroidery, oStensibly listening to the
child's hesitatlng accents, but In reality
racking her brain as to how she was to |
meet the quarterly demand for rent on |
the morrow. Had she undertaken too |
much? Surely no. He who careth for |
the young ravens would help her to |
maintain the forlorn orphan.
Yet Alice's face was unwontedly |
grave. when low knock sounded on |
the panels of the door.
SISTER" cried the child, jumping |
up, may 60 TO the door?"
"Yes, Charley"
Charley opened it eagerly. The
next moment he was caught up IN the
arms of tall man, bronzed and
bearded, and as handsome as Apollo.
"Papa. Ny own papa!'
And Alice st. Avon started up, as
pale as if she had seen ghost rise from
the sheeted dead.
Papa, It's my sister Alice, hiss
her too, papa"
But Mr.. Worden only bowed with
courteous greeting.
- have startled you, l fear, Miss st.
Avon, nor do | wonder much. For
when / think OF the narrow escape l
lave had with the ether passengers OF
the ill-fated Marie Antoinette, L am
startled myself. You have been kind
to my poor boy, how shall ever thank
you sufficiently?"
Alice st. Avon felt the rosy blood
mantling her cheek as she stood. con-
fused, beneath the earnest gaze OF the
stranger, she scarcely knew in what
words to answer, all unaware that III
her case silence was far more eloquent |
than the readiest words,
'And now, if you will retain the |
charge of this boy or mine a brief while |
longer" added Mr.. Worden, 81 will go
to see about taking legal measures to re-